A tale from long ago
by sandragon
Summary: In modern day Westeros there is a well known fairy tale of how magic brought together a little bird and an ugly hound. Written for the Sansan week on tumblr.


**A/N: **_I wrote this as prompt #4 for the Sansan week over at tumblr which was Mythology/fairy tale._  
_Before you read this please note that I've written this as a story told to children in the far far future of Westeros. Much like in the fashion Disney tales are told now. And those of course are edited and edited again over time so naturally this story also differs from it's original. In big lines it follows the main story but I've changed a lot of major stuff, just so you know._

* * *

"Mother, tell me a story," he asked as his mother tucked him into bed.

"You're becoming too old to listen to bedtime stories."

"Please, they make me dream such beautiful things," he begged her.

His mother sighted. "Fine then. But a suiting one, about a girl who loved fairy tales as much as you do."

"The fairy tale about the bird?" he asked excitedly.

"Yes, that one. Although some people still hold on that it really happened. But it was centuries ago nonetheless."

He settled himself against the pillows. This was his favorite tale.

"Long ago when Westeros was a dark, dark place and the winters would last for an immeasurable amount of time there was a beautiful maiden.

She was from an ancient family that was highly respected and they lived just below from where the magical ice wall had once stood.

The girl lived in a world of ice but her hair was often described as fire that could make the heart of any knight melt.

She loved the songs of knights and handsome princes the most and would dream of magic that would make her wish for one such a man to fall in love with her come true.

The fire haired girl had a brother who lived at the magical wall. He was only half a brother as he was a bastard, brought to this world by someone else than her own mother. But one day when she visited her brother it is said she changed. The wall held ancient magical powers and she had prayed for a miracle after all.

Not much changed at first but the people began to notice that she was spending more and more time in the forest. And some believed that she talked to animals.

Soon the whispers spread that her bastard brother had turned her into a warg and that she now often changed into the skin of birds and wolves.

The rumors were true and she often took in wings to look for handsome knights and their great deeds. The wolves were her favorite though and many a night howling could be heard all around her. However she was only a young maiden and she could not fully control the wild animals. One night, when she got curious she tried to make one wolf walk into her castle to see herself through wolves' eyes. But when she entered with her skin all furry and sharp teeth in her mouth she was mistaken and her Lord father awoke and called to put the animal down before it could hurt anyone. Before she knew it the wolf took control away from her and she could only watch as she flew at her own father, biting his head off. The wolf raged further into the castle and in its wild confusion and hunger killed her Lady mother and eldest brother. Her sister managed to escape the home but her two youngest brothers were carried off into the night, never to be seen again. The magical spell had turned against her and taken away everything that she ever loved.

After that she was cursed by the king and his family and they hunted down all the wolves in the Kingdoms so she could never change into one again. She could still change into a bird however and in a desperate attempt to flee she slipped into the skin of a small singing bird and flew away in search of a warm new home. Not knowing that her younger sister returned home in search for her.

She flew south and south until she saw a knight so beautiful that he must be the one to bring her happiness again. But it was a trap and the knight was actually the king who had cursed her and soon she was caught and put into a magical golden cage which she could not escape, leaving her human body in the cold North.

The king wanted to make an example out of her to show what would happen to all that would dare turn on their own kin.

But that was also a lie because the evil king wanted to use her powers for himself. He said that as king of Westeros it would only be fitting that he turned into a lion, to slaughter any who dared defy him. He promised her that if she would help him in this, he would let her go. But the little bird did not know how to give him the magical ability and even if she did she didn't want to give it to him.

The king was incredibly angry at her and locked her away in a separate room and surrounded her cage with his watchdogs. Sometimes when the king was upset she still didn't share her secret he would let her fly the sealed room and make his dogs hunt her until they slammed her down with their strong paws and she was carried back to her cage again.

One of the dogs was bigger than all the rest. He was a terribly ugly hound with half his face burned off, by the doings of his former master it was said. Mostly he sat at the side of the king however and didn't hunt her down. The king was also cruel to the ugly hound and he would often kick him out of the door as a sign that they were done with the bird for the day. And the hound would give her a sad look and walk away closely behind his master.

Sometimes when the king left to attend to other business and his watchdogs growled dangerously all around her the old hound would bark at them and they would lay down, all afraid for his size and strength.  
Still he would sometimes bark meanly at her that birds ought to sing for their owners, but she refused. She looked away from the ugly beast and he became even angrier and rattled her cage.

She spend her days in silence afraid that any wrong chirp would cause the king to set his dogs on her again. She wished the spell on the cage would break so that she would be able to change back into her human body again and find an honest man who would protect her. She didn't want a knight anymore as they tricked her and caused her to end up in the situation she was in now.

One night, the vicious hound crept to her cage when she was already sleeping and didn't hear him coming. Quietly he stole into her cage and bit her, threatening her that he would kill her if she didn't sing for him. She had no other choice but to finally let her bird's song be heard as she sung the most calming tune she knew.

The magical song swirled around them in a green fiery haze and slowly the ugly hound began to transform. He grew and the short fur that covered him fell from his body. His paws turned into hands and feet and in a matter of moments the hound was gone and a man remained. Only the scars were proof of what he had once been. Where he had held the bird cruelly in his mouth before his now manmade lips rested softly against the little bird's head.

Not understanding what just happened or what to do he panicked and let the bird go. Closing her cage and fleeing the castle forever, he left the bird all on her own.

He tried to travel as fast as he could but he was not used to legs and as he tried to drink some water he fell in and nearly drowned. He was saved by a man who took him in for a while and taught him how to speak and walk and overall act like a proper human being. As time passed on he more and more fell the urge to thank the little bird for his new life. But he could not return to his former master.

Instead he travelled further north to the little bird's former home. He was greeted by her sister who didn't seem to trust his story at all and took him for a spy from the king and so she kicked him out. But he kept close to the castle and when the winds became so cold that he was afraid he would die if he slept another night outside he crept into her home as he had done before with her cage. He made his way up to the tower where he knew her sister kept her body safe from any harm.

When he entered he was taken aback by the sight before him. He had only ever known the frail little bird and never knew that her human form was so much more beautiful and stronger and he found himself captivated by the sight of her. He had always been afraid of fire since it burned half his face off but he found himself kneeling by her side and he stroked her fiery hair with love instead of fear. He kissed the top of her head the same way he had done with the little bird when he had left and fell asleep at the side of her bed, guarding her like the old watchdog he once used to be.

When he awoke the next morning she was sitting up in bed, her eyes wide open. Realizing that it was his caress from the night before that had broken the spell the pair flew into each other's arms as they shared their first real kiss. And at the same time, at long last, the howling of wolves could be heard once again.

The king fell not long after that, eaten by one of the lions he had kept close. And the kingdom lived in a peace for a while. The former bird and hound married, him fulfilling her wish of a gentle and brave man who would keep her safe at all times. And they build their own happy family before a long and treacherous winter knocked on their door.

But that is a tale for another time."


End file.
